Pneumatic-despatch-tube apparatus.



PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904.

E. A. FORDYGE. PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25. 1904.

N0 MODEL;

3 SHEETS-SHBBT 1.

No. 777,723. PATENTED DEC 20, 1904,

E. A. FORDYGE.

PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

AIPLIQATION FILED AUG. 25. 1904.

N0 MODEL. s SHEETS-SHEET z.

I Al fJ/AJQQ )7 No. 777.723; PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904.

E. A, PORDYGE.

PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 25 1904 NO MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES Patented December 20, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

EDMOND A. FORDYCE,-OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN OR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO LAMSON CONSOLIDATED STORE SERVICE COMPANY, OF NEWARK,NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PNEUMATIC-DESPATCH-TUBE APPARATUS- SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 777,723, dated December 20, 1904.

Application filed August 25. 1904- Serial No. 222,087.

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMOND A. FoRDYcn, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Pneumatic-Despatch- Tube Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic-despatch-tubeapparatus; and its IO object is to devise an apparatus on the vacuumprinciple which is economical and elfective and through which no airpasses when the apparatus is not in use.

My invention consists inwcertain novel fea- 5 tures hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a construction embodyingmy invention, Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section,

with parts in their normal positions and not in use. Fig. 2 is a similarview showing the position of the parts after a carrier has beenintroduced for transit to the central station from one of thesubstations. Fig. 3 is a simi- 5 ler View showing the position of theparts upon the introduction of a carrier at the central station fortransit to a substation.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

3 A represents a transit-tube secured to one end in the terminal A at asubstation and at the opposite end to the terminal A at the centralstation. At the terminal A the tube A is slotted atA and at the terminalA the tube A is provided with a series of slots C, which allowcommunication between the tube A and the terminal A A The upper end ofthe transmission-tube A at the substation is closed by the valve B, andits opposite end at 4 the central station is closed by the valve C, asshown. The terminal A is connected by the pipe D to the chamber E, andthis chamber E communicates, by means of the tube E, with a suitableexhauster or pump. The upper end of the tube E is normally closed by thevalve E pivoted at E and said valve is provided with the rigid arm E, towhich is pivotally connected the rod E secured to the piston-rod F,working in the cylinder F The exhaust-tube E is connected to the up- 5per part of the cylinder F by the pipe G and to the lower part of thecylinder F by the pipe G. This pipe G has a valve G the purposeof whichwill be hereinafter explained. At the substation there is located manoffset B the valve B and pivoted therein at B and with its outer endclosing the pipe H, which extends from the substation to the centralstation and is connected by the pipe H to the under side of the cylinderThe end of the pipe H at the central station is closed by the valve J,which is suitably pivoted on the support J and has its inner endextending into the carrier transit-tube K.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 6 5 1, the exhaust from thecylinder through the pipes G and G being equal, the piston F drops bygravity to its lower position, as shown, and remains in this positionwhen the apparatus is not in operation and in such po- 7 sition closesthe valve E so that the exhaust does not take place through thetransit-tubes, and at the same time there is a vacuum created in thepipes H and H through the pipe G, connected to the exhaust-tube E, whichis connected to the exhauster, so that an exhaust is created in thepipes H H through the lower part of the cylinder F through the pipe G,into the pipe E, and thence to the exhauster. WVhen a carrier is to besent from a substation to the central station, Fig. 2, the valve B israised and the carrier (which is marked X) is introduced and in itsdescent strikes the inner end of the valve B which opens the upper endof the pipe H, which nor- 5 mally is under the vacuum by the pipes G andH. ith this valve open atmospheric pressure enters the pipe H and passesalong the pipe and through the pipe H to the bottom of the cylinder Fand raises the piston 9 F, and with it the valve E (see Fig. 2,) so thatthe exhaust-tube E is in communication, through the chamber E and.terminal A with the transit-tube A, terminal A, and transittube K,exhausting the air from in front of the carrier, which is driven by theatmospheric pressure behind it through the transittube A and strikingthe valve C opens the same and passes around the chute C and isdischarged into a suitable receptacle. After the carrier has passed thevalve B said valve closes the upper end of the pipe H, and thus cuts oifthe atmospheric pressure from acting through the pipe H on the bottom ofthe piston F, and as the suction on the tube and bottom of said piston Fthrough the pipes Gr and G is equal the piston F gradually drops fromits upper position (shown in Fig. 2) to the lower position, (shown inFig. 1,) and in returning to its lower position it closes the valve E,which when closed cuts off the exhaust through the transit-tube A andthe parts as sume their normal position. (Shown in Fig. 1.) By thisarrangement no air passes through the transit-tube except when a carrieris in transit from a substation to the central station. The pipe G isprovided with a valve G for the purpose of regulating the descent of thepiston F, and in short lines this valve would be wide open, so that thepiston F would drop quickly, while in long lines the valve Gr would benearly closed, so that the fall of the piston F would be slow in bothcases, allowing for the discharge of a carrier before the valve E isclosed and the vacuum cut off.

When a carrier is to be sent from the central station to a substation,it is inserted into the top of the tube K with the parts in the positionshown in Fig. 1 and, descending, strikes the inner end of the valve J,Fig. 3, which opens the pipe H to atmospheric pressure, which passesdown through the pipe H and through the pipe H into the cylinder F andthe piston F being in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the vacuum onboth sides equal, the said atmospheric pressure forces the piston F intothe position shown in Fig. 3, thereby opening the valve E in theposition shown in Fig. 2 in the manner previously described, and theexhauster connected to the tube E draws the air through the tube E,terminal A transit-tube A and its slots A terminal A, and pipe K throughits slots A, and the atmospheric pressure behind the carrier forces itthrough the pipe K and open ing the valve K passes to the chute K andfrom said chute to a suitable receptacle. The operation in bothdirections is identical, and no air is drawn through either tube exceptwhen a carrier is in transit, and, further, these tubes are entirelyindependent both in forwarding and returning. When a carrier or carriersare in transit through the tubes, a carrier or carriers can also be intransit through the tube K and allwill be delivered, as the piston Fwill not drop to the bottom of the cylinder F until the last carrier hasbeen discharged, the reason being that the valve E opens every time acarrier is introduced into either the tube A or the tube K. Consequentlythe atmospheric pressure entering keeps the piston F up to the top ofthe cylinder F until the introduction of carriers is stopped, when saidpiston F drops to its normal position in the cylinder F The valves B andJ are counter-weighted, so that their outer ends normally close theupper openings of the pipe H.

I do not limit myself to the arrangement and construction shown, as thesame may be varied without departing from the spirit of m invention.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and set forth aconstruction embody-v ing the same, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube throughwhich carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage ofair through said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube, mechanismunder the control of said exhaust-tube for operating said valve andmechanism operated by the insertion of a carrier into said tube foropening said air-valve and allowing a passage of air through said tubefor driving carriers.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube throughwhich carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage ofairthrough said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube, mechanismunder the control of said exhaust-tube and normally holding saidair-valve closed, and mechanism operated by the insertion of a carrierfor opening said air-valve to allow a passage of air through saidtransit-tube.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube throughwhich carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage ofair through said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube, mechanismunder the control of said exhaust-tube for operating said valve,mechanism operated by the carrier upon its insertion into thetransit-tube for opening said air-valve, and mechanism for closing saidair-valve after the insertion of the carrier.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube throughwhich carriers are transmitted, an air-valve for controlling the passageof air through said transit-tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube,communication between said exhaust-tube and said transit-tube andnormally closed by said valve, a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder,connections between said cylinder and said exhaust-tube on oppositesides of said piston to normally maintain an equal vacuum on each sideof said piston, connections between said piston and said air-valve, acontrolling-pipe normally in communication with said exhausttubethroughsaid cylinder, a valve for closing the open end of said tube andadapted to be opened by the insertion of a carrier to al low theentrance of atmospheric pressure into said cylinder through saidcontrolling-pipe IIO for operating said piston to open said air- Valveto cause the passage of air through said transittube for thetransmission of carriers.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a transittube throughwhich carriers are transmitted, an air-valve for controlling the passageof air through said transit-tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube,mechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube and normally holdingsaid air-valve closed, and means for admitting atmospheric pressure tosaid mechanism to open said air-valve upon the insertion of a carrierinto said transittube to allow a passage of air through saidtransit-tube for the transmission of carriers.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube throughwhich carriers are transmitted, an air-valve for controlling the passageof air through said transit-tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube,mechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube and normally holdingsaid air-valve closed, means for admitting atmospheric pressure to saidmechanism to open said air-valve upon the insertion of a carrier intosaid transittube to allow a passage of air through said transittube forthe transmission of carriers, and means for regulating the closing ofsaid air-valve.

7 In an apparatus of the character described, a transittube throughwhich carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage ofair through said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube, mechanismunder the control of said exhaust-tube for operating saidvalve,mechanism operated by the carrier upon its insertion into thetransittube for opening said air-valve, mechanism for closing said air-Valve after the insertion of the carrier, and means for regulating theclosing of said airvalve.

8. In an apparatus of the character clescribed, transit-tubes throughwhich carriers are transmitted in opposite directions, an airvalvecontrolling the passage of air through said transit-tubes and normallyclosed, an exhaust-tube in communication with both of saidtransit-tubes, mechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube andnormally holding said air-valve closed, and means for admittingatmospheric pressure to said mechanism to open said air-valve upon theinsertion of a carrier into said transit-tube to allow a passage of airthrough said transit-tubes for the transmission of carriers.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, transit-tubes throughwhich carriers are transmitted in opposite directions, an airvalvecontrolling the passage of air through said transit-tubes and normallyclosed, an exhaust-tube in communication with both of saidtransit-tubes, mechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube andnormally holding said air-valve closed, and means operated by a carrierinserted into either of said transit-tubes for admitting atmosphericpressure to said mechanism to open said air-valve upon the insertion ofa carrier into said transit-tube to allow a passage of air through saidtransittubes for the transmission of carriers.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, a transittube throughwhich carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage ofair through said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube, andmechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube for opening said valveand allowing the passage of air through said transit-tube for thetransmission of carriers.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, a transittube throughwhich carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage ofair through said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube, andmechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube for automaticallyopening said valve and allowing the passage of air through saidtransit-tube for the transmission of carriers.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube throughwhich the carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passageof air through said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube, andmechanism under the control of said exhaust-tube for automaticallyopening said valve and allowing the passage of air through saidtransittube for the transmission of carriers, and for automaticallymoving said air-valve into its closed position after the insertion of acarrier.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube throughwhich carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage ofair through said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube,mechanism-under the control of said exhaust-tube and operated by acarrier inserted into said tube for automatically opening said valve andallowing the passage of air through said transittube for thetransmission of carriers.

14:. In an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube throughwhich carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage ofair through said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube under thecontrol of said air-valve, mechanism under the control of saidexhaust-tube and normally holding said air-valve closed, and means foradmitting atmospheric pressure to said mechanism to open said air-valveto allow the passage of air through said transit-tube for thetransmission of carriers.

16. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, a transit-tube throughwhich carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage ofair through said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube under thecontrol of said air-valve, mechanism under the control of saidexhaust-tube and normally holding said air-valve closed, and means foradmitting atmospheric pressure to said mechanism to open said air-valveto allow the passage of air through said transit-tube for thetransmission of carriers and adapted to cut ofi" atmospheric pressurefrom said mechanism to allow said mechanism to close said air-valve.

17. In an apparatus of the character described, a transit-tube throughwhich carriers are transmitted, an air-valve controlling the passage ofair through said tube and normally closed, an exhaust-tube under thecontrol of said air-valve, mechanism under the control of saidexhaust-tube and normally holding said air-valve closed, and means foradmitting atmospheric pressure to said mechanism to automatically opensaid air-valve to allow the passage of air through said transit-tube forthe transmission of carriers and adapted to cut off atmospheric pressurefrom said mechanism to allow said mechanism to close said airvalveautomatically.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 23d day of August,

EDMOND A. FORDYCE. Witnesses:

A. L. MEssER, A. R. LARRABEE.

